Depth, star power for incoming freshman hoops class

STEVE MEGARGEE, AP Sports Writer

Published
4:41 am CST, Tuesday, November 8, 2016

FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2016, file photo, Kentucky's De'Aaron Fox goes up for a dunk during the second half of an NCAA college basketball exhibition game against Asbury, in Lexington, Ky. Kentucky’s John Calipari landed five of the nation’s top 24 prospects according to composite rankings of recruiting websites compiled by 247Sports. The new Wildcats include guards De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Bam Adebayo, Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones. (AP Photo/James Crisp, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2016, file photo, Kentucky's De'Aaron Fox goes up for a dunk during the second half of an NCAA college basketball exhibition game against Asbury, in Lexington, Ky. Kentucky’s John

FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2016, file photo, Kentucky's De'Aaron Fox goes up for a dunk during the second half of an NCAA college basketball exhibition game against Asbury, in Lexington, Ky. Kentucky’s John Calipari landed five of the nation’s top 24 prospects according to composite rankings of recruiting websites compiled by 247Sports. The new Wildcats include guards De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Bam Adebayo, Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones. (AP Photo/James Crisp, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2016, file photo, Kentucky's De'Aaron Fox goes up for a dunk during the second half of an NCAA college basketball exhibition game against Asbury, in Lexington, Ky. Kentucky’s John

Get ready to learn some new names as the college basketball season tips off this week.

The 2015-16 season was billed as "the year of the senior," but newcomers figure to take center stage this season with the arrival of a talented and deep freshman class.

Jerry Meyer, the national director of scouting for 247Sports, calls the incoming freshman class the best since the 2007-08 season, which featured eventual NBA all-stars Derrick Rose, James Harden, Blake Griffin and Kevin Love.

"I would be surprised if this class doesn't eventually produce multiple NBA all-stars when it's all said and done," said Eric Bossi, the director of basketball recruiting at Rivals.

That represents a major change from last season, when experience was emphasized. Four of the five first-team selections on the AP All-America team last year were seniors: Virginia's Malcolm Brogdon, Oklahoma's Buddy Hield, North Carolina's Brice Johnson and Michigan State's Denzel Valentine.

The starting lineups in last season's NCAA championship game between Villanova and North Carolina included four seniors, three juniors, two sophomores and only one freshman. The nation's most celebrated freshman was LSU's Ben Simmons, who became the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft but failed to reach the NCAA Tournament.

This year's freshman class features much more depth.

"I wouldn't put anyone on that Ben Simmons level — I really think Ben Simmons is an exceptional talent — but I think there's a bunch of guys just a step below," Meyer said.

As usual, freshmen could make the biggest impact at No. 1 Duke and No. 2 Kentucky.

"As everyone can see, these guys are already talented," Duke senior forward Amile Jefferson said. "They already have the tools and the gifts that God gave them to be really good basketball players."

Tatum has a sprained foot and Giles underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last month that kept both players out of Duke's preseason exhibitions. Bolden is expected to miss Duke's first two regular-season games because of a leg injury.

Kentucky's John Calipari landed five of the nation's top 24 prospects, according to the 247Sports Composite. The new Wildcats include guards De'Aaron Fox (No. 6) and Malik Monk (No. 11) and forwards Edrice "Bam" Adebayo (No. 9), Wenyen Gabriel (No. 14) and Sacha Killeya-Jones (No. 24). They combined for 78 points Sunday in a 156-63 exhibition blowout of NAIA Division II school Asbury.

"His fan base hears every year about that crop of young guys, and about every other year they've been as good as advertised," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. "This is another special group. This could be another Karl Towns-type group."

Meyer noted Adebayo "is going to bring something to the table that Kentucky was woefully missing last year as far as physical play inside and explosiveness."

Meyer added it's "arguably the best" class John Calipari has brought to Kentucky, though Calipari himself is reluctant to compare.

"It's hard to think back," Calipari said. "All I can tell you is it's a very smart group — a very driven, wired group, a competitive group."

"I think he can be one of the more versatile players that we've had since Jason Richardson," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "He shoots it pretty good. He's stronger than most freshmen. He's a man-child in that respect. He's a power jumper. But he's been an incredible kid. Sometimes your top-10 or 15 players are full of themselves. He's been as humble and hard-working and coachable a kid as I've had."

Ball leads a bumper crop of point guards that also includes Fox, Washington's Markelle Fultz (No. 5) and North Carolina State's Dennis Smith Jr. (No. 7).